Isolation Photography 2 (Outside)

Out on a Hike :Ashuelot River, Keene NH

County Champion Red Oak
Friedsam Town Forest, Chesterfield

I hope everyone is still managing to stay healthy and sane as we practice crucial measures for social distancing and personal protection from the Corvid 19 virus.  On the “keeping sane” front, last week I discussed how we can explore within our homes for interesting photographic subjects.  Possibilities included pets and floral photography as well as macro photography to study the details of everyday things. I also mentioned that I have taken advantage of all my free time to catch up on editing the volumes of untouched images that I have collected from previous travels and from the wonderful progression of our New England seasons.  There is much within our homes to keep our photography interesting and creative, but with proper precautions, there should be no reason to restrict our shooting within our walls.  With simple precautions, we can step outside, take a drive, a hike in the woods or just a stroll around the neighborhood.  

Early spring “stick season” can be drab, but life is returning to the landscape.  With eyes open, you will be surprised by the beauty that is all around.  Here are just a few suggestions of what photographic wonders you may find as you venture out into our early New England spring.

Look for Patterns

Maple Swallowing

During the stick seasons of both November and the early spring, much of my photography is focused on patterns in nature.  Bare branches, twigs, dead leaves, fences, and stonewalls can all be captured in interesting arrangements forming strong compositions.  Once you start looking, the patterns are everywhere.  Most days I walk along the same loop through my Spofford Village neighborhood.  It is all very familiar, but I always seem to find new things to shoot.  The weather or light may be different, or I may find fresh compositions or angles on scenes that I pass every day. Don’t be afraid to experiment.  After all those pixels are free.

Ice Out on the Edge

Try Black and White

In the spring, the subtle shades of color can be striking, but this is also a time when black and white images can be used to highlight the patterns.  When shooting for black and white, I always capture the original images in color, and later convert to B&W.  The underlying color information can be used to lighten or darken corresponding areas of the monochrome image.

I converted a simple picture of a twig on the ground to black and white, and I was able to darken the greens and yellows to highlight the curving form of the pine branch.  These sorts of adjustments are available in Lightroom, Photoshop and most other image editing programs.

New Life

In the early spring there are signs of new life.  A couple of weeks ago shoots of green had pushed through the snow and now the brave Crocuses are reaching up towards the light.  

The buds on the trees are beginning to swell and in just a few weeks they will be exploding into bizarre arrays of early growth.

Crocus Blooms

Lichen

I have always been a fan of the beautiful patterns and colors of New England’s ubiquitousLichens.  Lichen is actually a symbiotic composite organism combining a fugus superstructure in which lives a photosynthetic algae or cyanobacteria.  When you start looking you will see that Lichen covers much of the substance of New England. Stone walls, boulders and even trees are hosts.  Spring, when the forests aren’t choked with leaves, is a great time to view and photograph the underappreciated Lichens.

Animals Emerge

On a much grander scale than the lowly Lichen, spring is a time when animals become more active.  If you are persistent, patient and lucky, you may capture squirrels, chipmunks, deer and many wild birds.  Visiting a nearby farm, you can find sheep, cows and horses all feeding on the new grass.  

On a recent walk, a passerby directed my attention to a juvenile eagle perched high above Spofford Lake.  The bird stayed in the tree long enough for me to run home and return with my long lens. 

I steadied my 800mm Lens (actually 400mm with a 2x extender) on my car roof and, with a rapid shutter speed, I was able to get some steady,  views of this magnificent raptor. 

Past Life

Spring is also decorated by the remains of the previous season’s growth.  Fallen leaves can be seen in various patterns of decay on the ground or floating on ponds and streams.  Recently I found a nice collection of Cat-o’-nine tails bunched in a patch of wetland next to Spofford lake.  Spring is also a great time to get a clear view of the weathering of old trees and stumps.

Beech trees are remarkably persistent members of our New England forests. During winter and spring their bright yellow leaves tenaciously cling to the branches and add color to an otherwise dull landscape.  I always look for ways to include these splashes of color in my compositions.

Beech Forest Spofford NH

The Usual

West River Sunset Brattleboro Vt

The Golden Hours

Of course, in additional to the special spring stuff, there are many of the usual New England attractions to be seen as you venture away from home.  Sunsets and sunrises should be as glorious as during any other time of year. Although I wonder if the reduction in vehicular air pollution might mute the rosy glory of the golden hours. 

It is easy to capture brilliant color in a sunset, but try to make the image about more than just a splash of garish color. Find something interesting in the foreground that tells a story and places the viewer within the scene. 

Moon Rising

"Super" Moon over Monadnock

The fullmoon will be rising on Tuesday evening (4/7)  and will be the biggest this year. Moonrise in Keene will be in the east (92.8 deg) at 6:58 pm, although as we look over the hills, we will see it later.  Try to catch the moon close to the horizon when there is still some light in the sky, the “blue hour”, and find a spot where you can place something interesting in the foreground.

Flowing Water

Partridge Brook Chesterfield NH

Finally, early spring is the best time to explore the many spectacular local waterfalls.  The Run-off and spring rains swells our streams and that is why I schedule my annual Waterfall Weekend Workshop for this time off year.  The weekend is always an exciting adventure.  

• Waterfalls of Cheshire County

This year the workshop is set for May 15^th – 17^th, but, unless we all travel in separate cars,  it seems unlikely that we will be able gather for the event.  This stupid virus has already squashed two of my classes, but I can always hope.  Meanwhile there is nothing preventing us from photographing waterfalls on our own.  Just stay distant from the crowds.  Remember to bring a tripod and polarizer to cut through the reflections and soften the rushing water.  And try not to slip on the wet leaves into the freezing water - not all of the dangers out there are related to a nasty virus. 

• Photographing the Magic of Velvet Water

Chesterfield Gorge Bridge

Gnarled Stump Spofford NH

I hope you are doing well, healthy and safe, and that this discussion will get you going on your own exploration beyond the confines of your home and into the growing beauty of our New England spring.  Let me know what interesting subjects you find.

Maybe I will see you out there – just stay safely distant!

Spofford Village NH

Jeff Newcomer, NEPG
www.partridgebrookreflections.com
jeffn49@myfairpoint.net

New England Photography Guild and Rockport Cape Ann

The New England Photography Guild was organized in early 2011 as a group of photographers who focus on celebrating the 

Bearskin Neck

beauty of our unique corner of the country.  Since being establish by Jeff Folger, Butch Lombardi and Liz Mackney the Guild has grown to include 12 talented photographers from throughout New England.  It has been my honor to be member since 2012.  As stated in its initial blog article, Jeff Folger described the Guild as, “a place where some of the best photographers I've met will have a small gallery representing their work” to bring “all the incredibly beautiful areas of  scenic New England in one location”.

Rockport Sunrise

The Guild started as a gallery to show amazing images of New England, but over the years its focus has broadened.  Primarily through our regular blog articles, we have expanded our role to include a celebration of many of the region’s most beautiful locations, and as a source for information about photographic techniques and vision.  

The Meeting, Finally!

New Hampshire Photography Guild

Recently we gathered in Rockport Massachusetts for a long overdue assessment of the on-going goals of our group.  We hadn’t met  in several years, and it was exciting that eleven of our current 12 members were in attendance.  It was a long meeting, including catching up with new and old members (I am one of the OLD members), chatting and comparing our various activities and of course planning how to keep the Guild relevant in the rapidly evolving world of digital photography.

Lobster Shack Door

We decided on a long list of tasks and goals, which might be worthy of a future article.  I was especially excited by plans to highlight the list of classes and workshops that many of our members organize throughout the year.  We came away with a fresh sense of connection and purpose, and a commitment to stay closer in touch with each other and our community.

In all, it was a productive and enjoyable meeting, but the other attraction of the weekend was the chance to revisit the Gloucester and classic New England fishing village of Rockport.

Back to Rocky Neck

Grounded

I grew up spending my summers on our family's little boat on Rocky Neck in Gloucester.  I explored every corner of the harbor in my own eight foot dinghy with its ferocious 3 HP motor, and we spent weeks cruising the coast from Block Island to Acadia.  I wasn't surprised to find that Rocky Neck showed signs of development, but, for me, it still held the charm of many years ago.    

Low Tide on Rocky Neck

Rockport

Rockport harbor is tucked away in a far corner of Cape Ann on the northern Massachusetts coast.  Despite its relative isolation, Rockport still attracts tourists to its artist studios and unique shops especially along famous Bearskin Neck.   Photographers are drawn to its well protected harbor, which is almost entirely populated with working lobster boats.  Unlike so many harbors on the New England coast, Rockport has not become overrun by pleasure craft.  The waterfront provides many opportunities to capture scenes of lobster boats, weathered shacks, lobster pots. colorful buoys and coils of rope.  

Motif #1

Of course, Rockport is most famous for the iconic red lobster shack “Motif Number One”.  Every photographer who has ever lived must get the classic shot of the motif.  It would be trite if the damn place wasn’t so ironically iconic!  The goal is to find a few fresh angles on the shack, but a “fresh angle” means that it has been captured by perhaps 1,000 previous photographers.

Of course, I bagged my Motif from several perspectives.  I included lobster boats, pots and skiffs.  I shot evening and dawn light and mixed in a little tone mapping.  That should last me for a few years.

Dinner and a Thacher Island Dawn

Sunrise Line

Our Guild meeting was scheduled for 9:30 Sunday morning, so Susan and I headed down on Saturday afternoon and stayed at the friendly Tuck Inn.  Saturday night we joined Guild Members Liz Mackney and Jonathan Steele (with his partner Jules) for dinner at a local fish restaurant.  The food was great and Jonathan, Liz and I got to consult the Photographer’s Ephemeris for the best place to catch the sunrise over Thacher Island.  Susan and Jules seemed happy to entertained themselves.

Sunday morning, I met Jonathan before dawn on the rocks opposite Thacher Island, with its twin lighthouses.  Right on cue, the sun rose between the two lights.  It was a beautiful calm and clear morning, sadly entirely too clear!  The hope is always to have enough clouds in the sky to light up with the gold of the rising sun, but this morning we had to contend with the “terrible clears”.  

Blue Hour Gold

Dealing with the Terrible Clears

I tried many of the approaches to a dull clear sky.  Before the sunrise I took advantage of the “blue hour” with its additional shades of red and yellow.  I caught the first slight crescent of the sun as it rose above the island.  For most of my sun shots, I accentuated the star burst appearance by stopping down on the aperture to f16-f22.  Unfortunately, the small apertures also increased the prominence of flare, which required correction in post-processing.

Another approach to an uninteresting sky is to eliminate most of it.  In one shot I zoomed in on the South Lighthouse, reducing the sky and showing the sunlight shining through the light and the tower windows.  In another image, I pulled back to show the foreground rocks and the light scintillating across the water.   

I always enjoy finding excuses to travel to our New England seacoast.  On this occasion I got the opportunity to capture images around one of the coasts most iconic little harbors while also renewing connects with some of our regions best landscape photographers.  What could be better?

Jeffrey Newcomer

www.partridgebrookreflections.com

Lake Morey Retreat, Each to their Own

Misty Sunrise Lake Morey Vermont

Summer is now in full swing.  This year, we have been blessed with several opportunities to enjoy the season, and for very little money.

Last weekend we enjoyed a couple of days at the Gurney’s Resort in Newport Rhode Island, and this week, we insisted the Lake Morey Resort in northern Vermont.  Susan had won a raffle at last year’s Prouty Golf Tourney and we were treated to two nights on Lake Morey with meals, all the golf Susan could get and all the photography I could enjoy throughout the beautiful countryside.

Lake Morey Shore

Glen Falls 

Glen Falls, Lake Morey

We arrived on Sunday and while Susan hit the links, I found a Lake Morey trail map which showed a path to “Glen Falls”.  Of course. Chose the wrong trail and ended up high at the edge of the gorge.  To get to the falls, I had to slide on my but down a ridiculously steep and damp trail.  Later, I discovered that another trail easily reached the falls from a point on the lake road.  Despite my death-defying slide, the falls were worth the plunge.  I would love to return earlier in the spring, when the flow would be more dramatic.

Fields of Lupine in Sugar Hill

On Monday I headed north to see how the Lupines were standing up in Sugar Hill New Hampshire. I knew that the Lupines would be a couple of weeks past peak, but I was hoping to find some persistent color.  Sugar Hill’s Fields of LupinesFestival is typically most colorful during the first week in June, but I found a few patches of blue flowers, especially in the field below the St Mathew’s Church.  In the evening we had the chance to take a pontoon boat tour around the Lake.  Our guide, Betsy, was charming, and of course, it turned out that Susan knows her aunt.  

St. Mathew's Church, Sugar Hill, NH

Misty Sunrise

Tuesday morning, I got up early to capture the mist peacefully floating on the lake.  It was a magical time, especially as the rising sun painted the clouds.  HOURS later, Susan got up to grab one more round of golf and I explored north through the idyllic farm land to Bradford Vermont.  

Morning Pier, Lake Morey

Bradford Grazing

Bradford Mill

Bradford Mill on Waits River

Bradford is notable for a dramatic old mill falls formed as the Waits River Cascades toward the Connecticut River.  Even through the sun was bright, I was able to soften the falls with a combination of a polarizer and a 3 stop ND filter.

Bradford Farm

Betsy at the Helm

We had a wonderfully relaxing stay at the Lake Morey Resort.  Susan and I each had the opportunity to do what we enjoy most and the folks at the Resort could not have been more accommodating.  This weekend we are looking forward to escaping the heat to Martha’s Vineyard, where we will be staying with friends. It should be a blast, and I may actually bring along my camera.

Lake Morey Resort

Add caption

That will be the end of our “free” summer escapes.  Next comes my passive “supervision” of the construction of my new barn studio and getting ready for Abigail and Grayson’s big marriage celebration at the end of August.  Retirement is great!

Jeffrey Newcomer

www.partridgebrookreflections.com